Rather than being used along the I-15 corridor and in other routes parallel to light rail and the planned Salt Lake City-Weber County commuter rail line, Packard believes BRT should replace those transit systems.

"This (BRT) is the smarter way to go in the future. . . . It's a much cheaper, much more effective replacement," Packard said. "But if you try to put two (transit modes) in parallel, one is going to be stealing ridership from the other. And we have demonstrated already that light rail has stolen tremendous ridership from the regular buses."

Packard also likes the "flexibility" of BRT over fixed guideway systems such as commuter rail, light rail and trolleys. It would be possible, for example, for drivers to take a BRT into the city during rush hour, then return along a local bus route, thus accomplishing two tasks with one vehicle, he said.

Ultimately, however, it will come down to what local officials prefer — BRT, trolley or some other mode. And Davis County officials now have that decision before them.

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